LITTLE ELM (CBS 11 NEWS) – It might be a sign of how safe people feel in Little Elm that locking the door at night is sometimes overlooked.

“I thought she had locked the front door. She thought I had,” said Bill Abercrombie, explaining the mix-up with his wife Sunday night.

Abercrombie said he was shocked Monday morning when he took out the trash. “There was my wife’s purse with the belongings thrown everywhere.”

The homeowner said someone had rifled through the purse and stolen $500 in cash.

The worst part though, he said, is knowing someone walked into his home overnight, while he and his wife were sleeping.

“The invasion of our privacy… the fact that they could have come in our bedroom. They could have hurt us. They could have hurt our dog,” said Abercrombie.

(credit: CBSDFW.COM)

Little Elm police believe the same burglar struck at another home on the same block and a third home a quarter mile away.

A second victim, who didn’t want to be interviewed, told CBS 11 News the thief got in through his garage and took cash from his wallet and his wife’s.

Police are investigating each incident. “We do have one victim who was able to give us a partial description,” said Deputy Chief Rodney Harrison.

Harrison says one victim, who woke up during the robbery, got a glimpse of the thief. Investigators are now working with other agencies to identify a suspect.

In the meantime, though, Little Elm police and residents are warning neighbors. Deputy Harrison said, “It doesn’t happen often in our community, but we’re asking people to be extra vigilant, lock their doors.”